Albert Janssen – författare

Changes in the organisational structure of the Federal Republic of Germany can be observed at all democratic decision-making levels – at the local level, at federal state level and at federal level. In the light of the departure from beaurocratic administrative rule (that is required by constitutional law) that this entails, Germany must be understood as a state without a real executive. What is more, the emergent monopolisation of state will-formation through the political parties as well as the questionable democratic legitimacy of the European Union means that the key requirement of the Basic Law; that all state power emanates from the people (alone); is being undermined. It is the aim of the studies in this volume to explain this development and the consequent necessity to amend the constitutional law.

Nach der sog. Ewigkeitsklausel des Grundgesetzes (Artikel 79 Abs. 3 GG) sollen vor allem der Schutz der Menschenwürde und die fundamentalen Staatsstrukturprinzipien des Artikel 20 GG durch keine parlamentarische Mehrheit beseitigt werden können. Die richtige Inhaltsbestimmung der auf diese Weise geschützten Identität des Grundgesetzes kann nur gelingen, wenn die genannten Staatstrukturprinzipien als inhaltliche Präzisierung der Garantenstellung des Staates verstanden werden, die ihn zur Achtung und zum Schutz der Menschenwürde i. S. des Artikel 1 Abs. 1 GG verpflichtet. Daneben hat die Auslegung des Artikel 79 Abs. 3 GG seine besondere Geschichtlichkeit in Rechnung zu stellen, die sich aus dem Charakter dieser Vorschrift als Ausdruck der verfassungsgebenden Gewalt des deutschen Volkes ergibt. Die so bestimmte Verfassungsidentität des Grundgesetzes wird aber, wie in einem besonderen Anhang gezeigt wird, durch die heutige Verfassungswirklichkeit nachhaltig in Frage gestellt. Deshalb schließt Albert Janssen seine Überlegungen mit einigen Reformvorschlägen für das Grundgesetz.According to the so-called eternity clause of the German Constitution (article 79(3)) the protection of the human dignity and the fundamental state structural principles of article 20 of the German Constitution shall not be abolished by any parliamentarian majority. The correct definition of the content of this protected identity of the Constitution can only be realised if the mentioned state structural principles are understood as a clarification of the guarantor''s position of the state which is committed to respect and to protect the human''s dignity in accordance with article 1 (1) of the German Constitution. In addition, the interpretation of article 79(3) of the German Constitution has to consider the particular historicity which results from the character of this regulation as an expression of the constitutional power of the German people. However, the defined constitutional identity of the Constitution is permanently challenged as demonstrated in the appendix. For this reason, Albert Janssen concludes his thoughts with several reform proposals for the Constitution.

A precondition for every judical decision is an awareness for the correct relationship and differentiation between the law and justice. The art in this process of resolving an arising conflict of interests lies, after due thought, in the resolute conclusion that a just solution is not simply to be found in a preordained idea of justice but must be sought for each case. The lawyers experience of the solutions in similar situations gives him the necessary direction in which he must seek a just decision. This book sets out to develop this thesis in three steps by surveying the thoughts of Otto von Gierke and Wilhelm Henke on law and the thoughts of Gerhard Ebeling about the theological fundamentals of law.